Mardi Grass



The weekend of 4 and 5 May saw Nimbin packed to the rafters for the annual Nimbin Mardigrass, which is a cannabis law reform rally with a festivial atmosphere.

In the weeks preceding the Mardi Grass we couldn't help but notice a police helicopter doing a grid aerial search of the valleys and ridges including a low pass over our property !  Outrageous!!.

Being newbies in the area we are striving to absorb the local culture, learn the local history and find our place in the wider community.  So of course, we felt obliged, nay, compelled, to attend Mardi Grass 2013. 

Our trip in to Nimbin on both Saturday and Sunday involved passing through a police roadblock set up just south of town. Most likely this was one of several road blocks on all the roads into Nimbin over the weekend.

Hari Krishnas, Nimbin main street

The weather was beautiful while we checked out all the food and clothing stalls etc and then gravitated to the "arena" where we watched the Hemp Olympics. The MCs for the event were comedians who entertained the crowd with often disparaging comments on the competing (and spectating) athletes.  And to keep the peace, volunteers wearing t-shirts labelled "polite" were in attendance. Spectators and participants came from all points of the compass: Holland, Taiwan, Japan, France, Italy, Germany, USA etc etc.

Major events included:

• Police v Polite Tug o' Peace  (the locals won best out of three);
• Bong throwing;
• Joint rolling; and, our favourite:
• Grower's Iron Person

Athletes competing in the Grower's Iron Person event were required to jump hay bale hurdles and run about 150 metres carrying a  bag of manure, then repeat with a bucket of water, crawl though the Lantana Tunnel of Death, supposedly infested with leaches and ticks, and finally complete the circuit picking up their 'stash' on the way back to the finish line.  All of this on the side of a hill with approx 30% gradient.  We don't use the term 'athlete' loosely.  That would be a hard slog.  We are happy to replicate the course on our property for anyone who thinks it doesn't sound so bad.  Here's some pics of the day.



 



Tug o' Peace

Grower's Iron person (this guy won the men's race)

 



Lantana tunnel of death

There were so few entrants in the women's iron person event that there weren't enough participants for all three placings, so this brave woman decided to enter, knowing that even if she walked the entire course she would be sure to win at least third place.  So that's what she did.  One of the commentators is walking with her.

 

The closing of the festival is marked by a parade through the main street of Nimbin, down to the cop shop, then back to the festival grounds for the law reform rally.  Anyone can march in the parade, with the Gunja Faeries and the Plant'em leading the way.  The permit for the street parade must only be until 3pm, because at 3.01pm the police were actively moving everyone off the street.





Gunja Faeries leading the parade



Banners in the parade

Giant joint, the high point of the parade

A good time was had by all.  We consider ourselves somewhat more local now.  We avidly watched the local news for reports of Mardi Grass.  Disappointingly, the only mention was on channel nine to report the number of cautions issued and seizures made by police over the weekend.

Time to move on